During 2002–03, over 17 million tonnes of waste was disposed of at landfills in Australia – almost 850 kg per person per year (Australian Bureau of Statistics). New Zealand reported a total of 6.3 million tonnes of solid waste to landfill in 2006, about 1,570 kg of waste per person per year (Environment New Zealand, 2007). Although recycling is well accepted, population growth has seen the amount of waste sent to landfill increase, placing pressure on natural resources, creating a scarcity of landfill space close to urban centres, and driving up disposal costs. Reducing the amount of waste that is sent to landfill is not only better for the environment but is also more cost effective.

Performance status

In our Sustainability Strategy 2007–15, we identified several ways that we could work towards reducing our waste to landfill, by eliminating organic waste from the general waste stream by 2015 (where receiving facilities are available), reducing the amount of plastic in the general waste stream to less than 1% by weight by 2010, and reducing the amount of cardboard in the general waste stream to less than 1% by weight by 2010.

In 2007–08, the estimated general waste collected and sent to landfill in Australia from our Supermarkets business was 127.5 kilotonnes, with 21.6 kilotonnes in New Zealand. Our data collection and reporting of waste to landfill will be more accurate in future, following the agreement of an Australian national general waste collection contract with Cleanaway (Transpacific Industries Group). This new service arrangement will be implemented in the 2008–09 financial year for supermarkets across Australia, and progressively rolled out across other parts of our business.

Materials diverted from landfill in 2007–08
	2006–07 tonnes	2007–08 tonnes
Australia
Organic waste from supermarkets	4,860	5,354
Food to Foodbank	700	1,251
Plastic film	6,055	6,057
Cardboard	147,189	165,908
Polystyrene	*	589
Waxed cardboard	*	220
New Zealand
Cardboard	*	20,547
Plastic film	*	641
Total (tonnes)	158,804	200,567

 

Fifty-three of our Sydney stores currently send their organic waste to EarthPower, Australia’s first regional food waste to energy facility. The process produces biogas, which is used as fuel for engines to generate renewable energy. In our Sustainability Strategy 2007–15, we committed to increasing this to 100 stores by 2010. We have been working on a plan to extend the EarthPower service to a further number of stores in the Sydney area, putting us ahead of our 2010 target.

In 2007–08, 5,354 tonnes of organic waste was sent to EarthPower. This generated an estimated 1,750 MWh in electricity, sufficient to power 270 houses, rising from 1,230 MWh or 145 homes the previous year.

Another initiative for diverting food waste from landfill is our partnership with Foodbank. Foodbank is the largest hunger relief charity in Australia. Through their support of over 1,500 welfare agencies, they feed over two million Australians a year. Since 2004 Woolworths has been donating food and grocery products to Foodbank as a way of helping the community while reducing waste.

Woolworths Distribution Centres donate food products with damaged outer packaging or short use by dates. These products are safe for human consumption but unsuitable for retail sale. Volunteers at Foodbank sort, store and distribute the product to accredited welfare agencies throughout Australia. Welfare agencies use the food and groceries in the preparation of meals or distribute it in food parcels for those in need. Our stores donated just over 1,250 tonnes of food in the 2007–08 year.

Challenges in implementation

Organic waste diversion from landfill
We aim to eliminate organic waste from our general waste stream by 2015, subject to the availability of appropriate facilities. At present, 53 of our Sydney stores send source separated organic waste to the EarthPower facility in Sydney’s west for processing into compost, fertiliser and green power.

We will increase the number of Sydney stores using EarthPower in 2009–10 and investigate other similar facilities around Australia. However, at the present time the number of suitable facilities outside Sydney is limited.

In recent years, technologies have been developed that divert waste from landfill and minimise environmental impacts by treating organic wastes, such as food, and processing them into useful resources, such as compost, fertiliser, green electricity and treated water. However, these facilities are still limited and not available everywhere. Long lead-times are required for new facilities to be approved and constructed and they require a critical mass of input material and long term contracts to be commercially viable. We will continue to investigate the feasibility of this option in consultation with our service providers.

Behaviour change
In our Sustainability Strategy 2007–15, we noted that, although we recycle large amounts of cardboard and plastic, there are still high levels of recyclable materials being placed in the general waste stream, including 10% plastic and 7% cardboard by weight for Supermarkets, and 10% plastic and 21% cardboard for Distribution Centres. A key challenge, therefore, is to develop programs that can drive a change in staff behaviour to keep recyclables out of the general waste stream.

Some of the steps we have taken are education and awareness of recycling procedures in stores and Distribution Centres, reduction in plastic wrapping for transport and increased use of roll cages.

Electronic waste
With constant innovations in technology and low prices, the amount of electronic waste or “e-waste”, such as computers, televisions and other electronic devices, is continuing to grow each year. The components of these items contain heavy metals and chemicals that can be harmful to the environment, so keeping e-waste out of landfill is an important challenge facing the waste industry and consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers.

Our consumer electronics business helped fund the establishment of Product Stewardship Australia Limited (PSA). PSA is a not for profit, industry led organisation working on permanent solutions to recover and recycle consumer electronics in an environmentally sound manner. PSA is developing nationally consistent solutions for end of life (or obsolete) electronic and electrical products on behalf of its members.

Designate Reporting © 2008